Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor has paid a special visit to the Polish Church of Our Lady Mother of the Church in Ealing, west London. Welcomed by Mgr. Tadeusz Kukla, Vicar Delegate of the Polish Catholic Mission and Marian Priests of the parish, the Cardinal celebrated the 5.15pm evening Mass on Sunday 3rd December 2006, the first Sunday in Advent.

During the Mass, in recognition of the recent 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, the congregation treated the Cardinal to a rousing rendition of the traditional Polish song ‘ Sto Lat’ (May he live to be 100 years old).

In his homily, the Cardinal said that London’s Polish community should feel welcome and part of the Catholic family of the Diocese of Westminster. In a reply, Mgr Tadeusz Kukla thanked the Cardinal for reaching out to the Polish community and said: “The Polish Catholic Mission – as illustrated by our mass here today – will keep alive the faith and the practice of the people, who have settled here - temporarily or permanently. Thank you – your Eminence – for the part you have played in this mission. We are all deeply indebted to you.”

Ealing - home to many Polish people

Since the end of World War 2, when Polish ex-servicemen who fought on the side of the allies settled in theUK, Ealing has traditionally been home to many Polish people. In recent years, it has seen a dramatic growth in its Polish population who have come to London to live and work. As a result, the Polish Church of Our Lady Mother of the Church has seen a big rise in numbers worshipping, which now average over 5,000 each Sunday.